Discover Lyon and Saint-╔tienne

Lyon is the largest university city in France after Paris with 137,600 students, 13% of whom are international students. The research sector is very dynamic: 6,800 researchers and teacher-researchers work in 550 public and private laboratories (168 public laboratories are part of the Université de Lyon).

Welcome to Lyon and Saint-Étienne!

Lyon, France's second largest metropolis, offers students an exceptional quality of life with a highly-developed transportation network, shopping centers, plenty of green spaces, a renowned gastronomy and history, active research centers and more.

Saint-Étienne has all the features of a modern urban center: a tramway zips up and down the city and travels directly from the town center to the main train station. There are numerous pedestrian streets and cycle paths. Saint-Étienne is a leader in various fields: mechanics (rated first region in France); surface treatment (first region in France); tight textiles (international center). It also is a center for medical technologies, water studies, as well as optics and vision.

Cities rich in history and culture

The historical site of Lyon is home to an exceptional architectural and urban heritage. For this reason, the city has been listed since 1998 a UNESCO World Heritage site.A series of major events punctuate the city’s cultural life: the biennial dance festival, the biennial contemporary art festival, the Nuits de Fourvière in the Roman amphitheater (popular and classical concerts, as well as theater), the Festival of Lights (Fête des Lumières)...

Saint-Étienne was granted in 2010 the status of UNESCO City of Design and hosts every two years its international biennial festival, as well as many other cultural events.

An open and dynamic region: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is the second biggest economic region in France and is one of the most important economic regions in Europe. It shares a border with Switzerland and Italy. The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region has a remarkable, and protected, natural heritage thanks to the diversity of its climate and the natural sites it contains: the Massif Central to the west, the Rhône valley in the centre and the Alpes to the east. Natural parks cover 10% of the region.